A youth-led non-governmental organisation, Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI), launched the SheBuilds AI Fellowship on Thursday, a six-month intensive programme funded by the Government of Canada through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) to train young women in Kaduna State in artificial intelligence, data science, and digital entrepreneurship.
The launch, held at a press conference in Kaduna, also featured the public presentation of the organisation’s new issue brief, titled ‘Bridging the Gender Digital Divide: Artificial Intelligence as a Safe Driver of Economic Growth in Nigeria,’ which warns that the country’s fast-growing digital economy is leaving women behind.
Speaking at the event, the Global Director of BBYDI, Mr Olasupo Abideen Opeyemi, said the fellowship attracted 473 applications, of which 52 candidates were shortlisted for interviews and 20 young women were finally selected as the pioneer cohort. A second cohort of 20 will follow, bringing the total number of direct beneficiaries to 40.
‘This number alone is evidence that demolishes a dangerous myth – the myth that young women in northern Nigeria are not interested in technology. They are interested. What they lack is not ambition; it is access,’ Abideen said.
Citing figures from the organisation’s issue brief, Abideen noted that although the information and communications technology sector contributed 11.31 per cent of Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product in the first quarter of 2026, Nigerian women remain 26 per cent less likely than men to use mobile internet – one of the widest gaps in the world – while women hold fewer than one in five technology jobs in the country.
‘Analysts have warned that if this exclusion continues, Nigeria risks a gendered recession – a future in which the sectors driving growth draw on only half the nation’s talent. Nigeria does not face a choice between growth and inclusion. It faces a choice between inclusive growth and diminished growth,’ he said.
The BBYDI boss also raised the alarm over the safety of women online, referencing projections that as many as 70 million Nigerian women and girls could be exposed to AI-facilitated online abuse annually by 2030 if current trends continue. He stressed that ‘digital inclusion that is not safe is not sustainable.’
According to him, the fellows will learn Python programming, data analysis, machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI over six months, before building and pitching working AI solutions to real Nigerian problems in areas such as health, agriculture, education, and governance. He added that the curriculum was rigorously validated by AI practitioners and industry experts.
Beyond technical training, Abideen said the programme includes leadership development, communication skills, personal branding, CV writing, mental health support, excursions to technology hubs, and a rotating ‘Class Governor’ system designed to give every fellow hands-on leadership experience.
He further disclosed that after graduation, the organisation and its partners would connect the fellows to internships, jobs, and remote work opportunities within and outside Nigeria, sponsor their attendance at technology conferences and hackathons, and link them to national and international programmes for which their new skills qualify them.
In the issue brief, the organisation called on the Federal Government and the Kaduna State Government to embed clear gender targets, budgets, and sex-disaggregated reporting in the implementation of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme; urged the National Assembly to strengthen laws against technology-facilitated gender-based violence; and challenged technology companies to audit their algorithms for gender bias and set measurable targets for hiring women.
The organisation also appealed to parents, community leaders, and religious leaders to support the digital participation of their daughters, declaring that ‘every girl kept offline is a national asset kept idle.’
Abideen expressed gratitude to the Government of Canada and the High Commission of Canada in Nigeria for funding the project, and gave special appreciation to the Yandytech Community and other technology stakeholders for their support to the initiative and to the technology ecosystem in northern Nigeria.
Highlights of the event included the unveiling of the 20 selected fellows, goodwill messages from government representatives and stakeholders, remarks by the fellows, and a question-and-answer session with journalists. The fellows had earlier participated in an orientation programme on Monday, where they met their facilitators and mentors ahead of the commencement of classes.
The full issue brief, the organisation said, has been published on its website.